Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the Economic Development Administration: Who Is Matt Erskine?

In September 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Matt S. Erskine as deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Commerce and chief operating officer of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). Since March 2012, Erskine has been acting assistant secretary of Commerce for economic development. The EDA’s mission is to promote capital investment in economically challenged areas of the country and to invest in infrastructure.

Erskine grew up in Fairfax County, Virginia, attending Lake Braddock Secondary School. He then went to the University of Virginia, graduating in 1992 with a B.A. as an Echols Scholar. While at Virginia, Erskine was the president of the Interfraternity Council. He also has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Erskine started his career as a management consultant at Coopers & Lybrand in 1992. In 1998, he moved to the consulting firm of Korn Ferry, where he stayed until 2001.

When Mark Warner moved into the Virginia governor’s mansion in 2002, Erskine joined his administration, serving as deputy secretary of commerce and trade. He also served on the transition team for incoming Gov. Tim Kaine in late 2005 and early 2006. Erskine was also appointed by Kaine to the bi-partisan Virginia Research and Technology Advisory Commission.

At that time, Erskine returned to the private sector. This time he was president of a business strategy consulting firm called Play. In 2008, he moved to the Greater Washington Initiative, a public-private regional economic development organization, as its senior vice president and executive director. He served there until 2011, when he joined the federal government.

Erskine has a wife and three children. For recreation, he competes in marathons, triathlons and other endurance races.